HELP: I blow at cash games

ianmc38

When i play STTs and MTTs on tribeca, i do well. I usually play $5-$20 STTs and make a reasonable profit every week.

However, recently i've been playing low blind NL cash games. Usually play 5c/10c or 10c/20c. Now whenever i play these games i never seem to win money and at best seem to break even. Can anyone please give me some advice.

Marq

Yeah. Don't play cash games.

Or. Alternatively. Take a look at the Small Stakes Hold'em Forum on two plus two. There's more advice there than I could ever give.

Tackle

Keep playing them for a few months and if you don't start making money give up.

ianmc38

Marq wrote:

Yeah. Don't play cash games.

Well thats one easy reply, but I think in the long run, improving my cash game will prove a lot more lucrative than taking a €100 cheque from PPP every week for 10 hours of playing. I get paid 3x that an hour in my job.

My problem in cash games seems to be finding the right balance between aggression and tightness. I also tend to find alot of fish (as expected) on these low stake tables. Example last night, was playing 9 handed 10c/20c NL table. Pocket Js, i was on the button, 4 callers, no raise, i raised to 80c. SB and BB both called, followed by all 4 four pre-raise callers. Flop comes 2 K A. UTG bets 80. 4 flat call. As i see it i've no alternative but to fold. Turn comes A. 2 all in players and one other. Best hand is Q/9, which wins. Next best is J/7. I just shake my head in disbelief. In reality with that flop and that many players i dont think its possible for me to call that bet.

RuggieBear

i'd be the same tbh....think i'm just too wary about using actual money as opposed to chips.

I also find it much easier to work out my odds using chips

RoundTower

ianmc38 wrote:

Well thats one easy reply, but I think in the long run, improving my cash game will prove a lot more lucrative than taking a €100 cheque from PPP every week for 10 hours of playing. I get paid 3x that an hour in my job.

My problem in cash games seems to be finding the right balance between aggression and tightness. I also tend to find alot of fish (as expected) on these low stake tables. Example last night, was playing 9 handed 10c/20c NL table. Pocket Js, i was on the button, 4 callers, no raise, i raised to 80c. SB and BB both called, followed by all 4 four pre-raise callers. Flop comes 2 K A. UTG bets 80. 4 flat call. As i see it i've no alternative but to fold. Turn comes A. 2 all in players and one other. Best hand is Q/9, which wins. Next best is J/7. I just shake my head in disbelief. In reality with that flop and that many players i dont think its possible for me to call that bet.

If you can't beat this game, you probably can't beat the $20 STTs either. You've just been getting lucky so far.

Tackle

ianmc38 wrote:

I also tend to find alot of fish (as expected) on these low stake tables. Example last night, was playing 9 handed 10c/20c NL table.

.25/.50 is where the real poker starts. And 6 handed is more profitable than 9. It'll still take a while but you could be making money consistently after two months if you play enough.

ianmc38

RoundTower wrote:

If you can't beat this game, you probably can't beat the $20 STTs either. You've just been getting lucky so far.

Yes a year long lucky streak. Hope it continues.

RoundTower

I wasn't being sarcastic or facetious or obnoxious. Maybe a tiny bit obnoxious. But if you really were good enough to consistently win a lot at the $20 STTs, if the hand history you posted is anything to go by, however badly you adapt to the cash games you should do better than break-even at that game.

It is possible you played well in the STTs and are now getting unlucky in the cash games.

hotspur

I kind of agree with Tackle, the level you're playing at doesn't represent actual poker. It's like all these rinky dink pub tournaments that start you off with 20x the BB and a table full of yahoos who will call anything anytime, you're wasting your time from a poker point of view. At 10/25 cent who in God's name is gonna care that much that you raise it to 4 times the BB preflop or 10 times on the flop? Just because these people have very little in front of them doesn't mean that they will fold as it's an insignificant amount of money. For real poker it's gotta be somewhat meaningful if you are raised, particularly all in, and this means hundreds for the majority of people. I don't know what level on Tribeca counts as proper poker, it varies according to sites and networks sometimes it's $2/4 sometimes as low as $.50/1, but try to grind it out at a couple of tables where you sit down with 3 figures. Stick to the 9 player tables too during this period and play premium hands for a few weeks. You also have to log long hours to do this, if you're not inclined to then I shouldn't bother making the transition. It's a stupid bloody way to spend one's time anyway Best of luck to you.

Scotty #

Well......Lots of different opinions above......
Mine........ I play .50/$1 mostly and always 6 seat-er. I find rounds in 9 player take to long plus the more hands the more likely your beat (I know it means more money at the table as well). I always sit down with twice the minimum ($20 in .50/$1) Play tight for first few rounds and see who's doing what. I find if I can double or triple my money in the first 10 minutes then I'll continue on up, if I lose then I'll move to a different table. When you click its great ( this evening I came in and sat down with $20 and was up to $161 ten minutes later :-) ) My best night was $780 after 4 hours at the one table but this doesn't happen often. More often than not I'll get up to $50-$60 and float around there until I move on.
You certainly aren't going to progress playing .10/.20 games you'll need to play at least .50/$1 but BEWARE if you win a few quid playing at certain stakes be very careful about moving up. That $780 disappeared very fast when I thought I could play the bigger games.

Tourneque

ianmc38 wrote:

When i play STTs and MTTs on tribeca, i do well. I usually play $5-$20 STTs and make a reasonable profit every week.

However, recently i've been playing low blind NL cash games. Usually play 5c/10c or 10c/20c. Now whenever i play these games i never seem to win money and at best seem to break even. Can anyone please give me some advice.

Don't bluff. Ever.

Tyr

Tackle wrote:

.25/.50 is where the real poker starts. And 6 handed is more profitable than 9. It'll still take a while but you could be making money consistently after two months if you play enough.

Do you realy mean that m8 ? tought you moved up in blinds becouse of all the fishes who cant play poker. Would say you need to play atleast 10/20NL befor "everyone" at the table know what they are doing.

Tackle

I moved up based on bankroll, but I was glad to get out of .25/.50. It was a pain alright you often folded the best hand because somebody played their two pair like the nuts, but it's the best level to start at because there are signs of intelligent life and you need a bigger bankroll for .50/1.
There's still loads of bad play at 1/2. I've put people all in for their whole stack with QQ(knew it was good) and AA yesterday and was called by AQ both times. Was all in for my whole stack today with the flopped nuts KKK and was called by a 67 flush draw that won. I don't know about 10/20 haven't played beyond 1/2.

Tyr

Tackle wrote:

I moved up based on bankroll, but I was glad to get out of .25/.50. It was a pain alright you often folded the best hand because somebody played their two pair like the nuts, but it's the best level to start at because there are signs of intelligent life and you need a bigger bankroll for .50/1.
There's still loads of bad play at 1/2. I've put people all in for their whole stack with QQ(knew it was good) and AA yesterday and was called by AQ both times. Was all in for my whole stack today with the flopped nuts KKK and was called by a 67 flush draw that won. I don't know about 10/20 haven't played beyond 1/2.

I would say the real poker starts at 1/2. It was the first blinds i saw people play more then there cards. Its alot mor psycolgical the 05/1. And then more and more when the blinds increase. But at 05/1 almost everyone just play there cards (dont care about other bets, position and preflop bets and so on). I dont say everyone at 05/1 is bad or anything. I know u are atleast as good as I am tacklef

Tackle

I just meant there is actually a some skill involved in .25/.50 as opposed to .10/.20 which is pure bingo, so the OP shouldn't waste his time on it or think it's a true reflection of his ability.

Tyr wrote:

I know u are atleast as good as I am tacklef